Hopper for charging coal



(No Model.)

D. McDONALD. HOPPER FOR CHARGING GOAL.

Patented May 5, 1896.

I INVENTOB 170W mama A TTORNEYS.

ANDREW BGRARAM PHOTO UTHO WASNINGYDNJJC UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

HOPPER FOR CHARGING COAL.

SPIEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,731, dated May 5, 1896.

Application filed August 15, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DONALD MCDONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoppers for Charging Goal or Coke, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved hopper. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the hopper with the cover removed. Fig. lis a horizontal section, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the lid.

The invention relates to that class of hoppers which are employed for charging coal or coke into ahot gas-generator or for charging limestone into a kiln, or it maybe used wherecver a generator has to be charged against gas-pressure.

The object of the invention is to provide a rotary hopper which when turned in one direction will cause its lower open end to registor with an opening in the base to discharge its contents therethrough, and when turned in an opposite direct-ion for refilling will close the said base-openings also, to provide such a hopper with a close-fitting cover, wherebyv all escape of gas is prevented in both movements of the hopper; also, to provide the lower face of the hopper with a clearingflange in close engagement with the upper face of the base.

The invention consists in the construction and combination hereinafter described and claimed.

A represents the hopper mounted to turn horizontally on the rod J, projecting vertically from the center of the circular base B. The rod J extends up through the hopper, adjacent to one side thereof, and the oppo site side of the hopper is inclined downwardly and inwardly, as at A, to the outlet A The bottom of the hopper is formed with a horizontal circular flange A concentric with the hopper-axis J ,and the lower face of this flange A is provided with an annular rib A", which rests upon the flat upper side 13 of the base B. This rib A" is, however, eccentric to the axis J, so that when the hopper is rotated Serial No. 559,402. (No model.)

said rib will exert a scraping or clearing action on the base and prevent the accumula tion of dust, (5110., thus providing for a close joint between the hopper and base to prevent escape of gas. The flange A projects beyond the pivoted side of the hopper, so that when the hopper-opening A is partially or entirely out of register with the base-opening B the flange will close said base-opening The upper threaded end of the bolt projects above the hopper and is surrounded by a tubular bolt J, which is screwed at its lower end into the upper edge of the hopper.

E is the hopper cover or closure, which turns freely on the bolt J and is clamped at that side by means of the handle-nut G, which screws on the tubular bolt J and against the upper side of the cover. The opposite side of the cover is provided with a hook or recessed lug E and a handle E and this hook or lug engages with the bolt E hinged to the upper front portion of the hopper A and provided with a handle-nut F for clamping that side of the cover down upon the hopper.

D is a handle-nut on the upper extremity of the rod J and bearing at its lower side against the upper end of the tubular bolt J, so that by turning the nut D down tightagainst bolt J the hopper and base B will be drawn together and a tight joint formed. The hopper is turned by means of a handle A at the upper end of its rear side.

The base B is circular or cylindrical, and its upper face is trued or faced off for engagement with the rib. The upper and lower flanges B B are separated to one side of the opening B by means of the space 13 which, if desired, maybe filled with asbestos or other suitable material, and b are strengthening posts or braces connecting the base-flanges within this space. The lower base-flange B is provided with bolt-holes b, by means of which the entire hopper mechanism may be bolted in place. lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, a charge will have been discharged from the hopper through the base-opening B and the attendant will now grasp handle A and swing the hopper around so that the opening A will come directly over the space E, and its flange A directly opposite 0 aenin A will close the ho er-o icnin B The nuts F and G will be loosened and the cover swung open. The bolt E will be swung down out of the way of the coal-heavers, who will now fill the hopper and again close the lid tightly thereon. The coal in the hopper will be prevented from coking and thereby running together by means of the space 13, which prevents heating of the hopper and its contents. turned down a little if any gas or odor escapes from between the hopper and base. I thus dispense with all cone, slide, plug, and other valves, which are liable to become clogged from the dirt and tarry matters in the coal, and my construction of base prevents coking in the hopper, as when filled the hop per always rests over space 13* until its con tents are to be discharged, when it is turned by its handle A to bring its outlet A into register with the base-opening B and then immediately returned to its position over space E.

H is a sight-cock mounted on the flange A to permit the operator to look down into the furnace, oven, or kiln to which the hopper is applied.

llaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the base formed of upper and lower parallel plates spaced apart, connected at one side of the center by a tubular portion which forms the opening through the base, and connected at the opposite sides of the center by vertical posts or lugs, of the horizontally-turning hopper pivoted to the base and having a horizontally flanged lower end resting on the upper plate of the base and adapted to close the baseopening when the hopper-opening is over the closed portion of the base, and a cover for the upper open end of the hopper and piv' oting on the sameaxis with the hopper, a nut on the hopper-axis for bearing down on that side of the cover and means for securing the The nut D will be opposite side of the cover to the hopper, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with the circular base having an opening therethrough to one side of its center, of the horizontally-turning hopper pivoted to the center of the base andhaving a flanged lower end provided with an annular eccentric rib engaging the faced upper side of the base to scrape the same and form a tight joint; the hopper having an outlet to register with the closed or open portion of the base, and a cover or closure for the hopper, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the circular base having a central vertical rod and an opening at one side thereof, of the hopper pivoting at one side on said rod, having a bottom flange engaging the upper face of the base to open or close the base-opening; the hopper also having an outlet to register with the baseopening or the closed portion of the base, a closely-fitting cover turning on upper end of the rod, a handlenut for tightening that side of the cover, a hook or lug at opposite sides of the cover, and a hinged bolt and hand-nut for engaging said hook or lug and clamping that side of the cover, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the base and its vertical rod, of the hopper pivoting on said rod, a tubular nut or sleeve on the upper portion of the rod, the horizontally-turning cover turning on the tubular nut or sleeve, a jam-nut on said tubular nut or sleeve for clamping that side of the cover, abolt and nut for clamping the opposite side of thecover,

DONALD MCDONALD.

W'itnesses:

\VM. H. CRUTCHER, A. RANsoN. 

